Relativity
by Lexandria
Summary: A distant cousin shows up to stay with the Weasleys and gets a job offer from Hogwarts. A little different circumstances and relative than usual.
1. Prolog

_**Relativity**_

**Prolog**

**Author**: Lexandria

**Summery: **A distant cousin shows up to live with the Weasleys and gets a job offer from Hogwarts (not who you think)

**Author's Notes**: Am I insane? YES! I have writer's block on Gateway (my Stargate SG-1/ Yugioh cross) and on my poll, this story got the most votes (one) does no one read the author's notes? Anyway, school's about to start back up again and I haven't finished all my summer work yet… procrastination is key… anyway.. yeah.

**Timeline**: Uh… wait, I know this one! –Wanders off to check the chapter maps- Uh.. right after Season three of Buffy (I might play around a bit with timelines… if I do, I'll make a note of it –can't remember if she does or not in this fic-) and… hmmm… Year six for Harry Potter…

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Harry Potter, if I did, I'd have no reason to Wright fanfiction!

**Key: **_word_ – memory/thought

* * *

Willow sighed softly as she sat down in the library, alone…or almost alone, Oz was there too, but of course, he wasn't much himself tonight, the night after the full moon. Currently, he was lying in the cage, apparently calm and subdued, but she knew better…the wolf liked to wait, rest, calculate before attempting an escape. He also seemed calmer when she, of all people, watched over him, waited with him for the night to be over. 

Unusually, Willow was upset…twin tear tracks stained her cheeks, "_you know I love you, right?"_ Oz's voice whispered in her mind, replaying the events of that after noon.

"_uh-huh"_

"_Then I hope you'll understand...I can't stay here…I can't be with you while I'm like this"_

Willow sniffled, and rubbed at the new tears threatening to fall, "_b-but why? I t-told you, I don't care about the wolfiness..I…"_

"_I know…I care about it. I care about you. What would happen if I escaped? If I hurt you...Willow…I couldn't live with myself if I hurt you"_

"S-see? You're safe ins-inside the cage… you a-aren't hurting me…" Willow mumbled softly, hiccupping softly and speaking to her boyfriend, whom she loved more than she ever could have imagined. He was so wonderful…quiet most of the time, though not really shy. Observant, that was the word that best described him. Wise and caring and loving. He'd forgiven her for kissing Xander, for cheating on him, for betraying him. She had only known how she loved him when she had almost lost him. She couldn't lose him again.

"_I have to leave…I have to find a cure before I can be with you…I can't risk hurting you…I love you more than anything"_

She'd cried then…and he had held her, stroked her hair, rocked her until the sobbing stopped and all that was left was hiccups and the soft whimper-moan that sometimes escaped her lips.

"_b-but you can't l-leave…please d-d-don't go…or…or I'll go with you! I'll go with you and help you and that way it'll get done faster and…"_

"_no…I'm leaving so I don't hurt you…you can't come with. Please understand, Willow"_

And, in truth, she did. She loved him but a part of her was afraid of the wolf. He'd almost killed her a few times, and because of it, she'd had to shoot him. Abet, it was a tranquilizer gun, but she'd hated having to do it, she'd hated having to run from him.

"_When will you c-come back?"_

"_I don't know, it'll take however long it takes"_

That had really scared her. It could be years before she saw him again, how would she know if he was even alive? How would she survive without him? Her heart ached at the thought of being without her Oz. She'd be so lonely without him.

"_you have to promise me you won't let me hold you back"_

"_wh-what do you mean?"_

"_If you find someone else, I'll understand. I love you and you deserve to be happy. You deserve to be with someone who doesn't have to worry if he'll hurt you, who you don't have to worry about hurting you. Promise me you won't let me hold you back"_

It had broken her heart to promise him that. She hadn't wanted to, but…part of her was glad he'd given her the ok…not because she didn't love him, but because it showed how much he loved her. He loved her enough to want her to be happy, no matter what it did to him.

"_When I find a cure, I'll come back and…and if you'll still have me…we can begin again…is that all right?"_

She'd never had the chance to answer, the moon had started to rise and he'd had to get into the cage to change. She'd waited with him, and she would wait until dawn, when he returned to normal. It was Friday night, date night, or so it was said to be. She never minded waiting with him, keeping him calm. She was best at it, after all.

* * *

Now! Now was the time! Flee, escape, hunt…no…not hunt, that was his mate. He had to change her. Yes, that would be good, maim, not kill. He could not kill his mate, he could not… 

The beast raged in Daniel Osborn's mind, taking control of everything…and the worst thing was, he would never remember what he did. He remembered his thoughts though. The primitive urgings that pushed at him more and more as the moon waxed and less and less as it waned, they were what scared him the most. The urge to bite Willow, to change her, had been becoming increasingly strong and that frightened him.

He'd read up on werewolves, as they all had, when it became clear that he was one, though he'd read all he could find, done much more extensive research than most had, with the exception of Giles. Only the two of them of the group knew the bond a werewolf had to its mate. The bond was lifelong, sure, most knew that, but what they didn't know, didn't understand was the wolf's desire to fully be with it's mate. And if its mate was human, it's urge to change it's mate as well.

Now, a mated werewolf was much less dangerous than a lone one. It's only urge would be to protect its mate and hunt, and would be much calmer in the presence of it's mate, as he was currently. But the wolf would want it's mate to be just as it was, and that urge made him more dangerous to Willow than a lone wolf ever could be. He'd decided just the day before, when he and Willow had been cuddling, that he needed to leave. He'd been almost overwhelmed by the impulse to bite her as they were making out, to turn her, and it'd taken his whole will to push that urge back.

The wolf, now, was in control…and it would make Willow wholly his mate…he sprang to life.

* * *

Willow jumped awake from her half-dozing state as Oz's body crashed into the cage, he was throwing himself wildly against the door, which had already taken so much abuse from the wolf It was starting to give way. Or, more actually, the clasp holding the lock began to give, it's welding bending and slowly breaking, a few more full-body blows and it clattered to the floor…the wolf was free. 

Scrambling back away from the door, Willow bolted for the desk, behind which was the gun was hidden, the wolf, however, countered her move and stalked slowly towards her.

Willow, for her part, was attempting to remain calm. _'Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic' _ran rapidly though her mind as she edged slowly away from her boyfriend, free hand groping for something to defend herself with. She knew it was almost dawn. If she could just keep him away from her long enough, he should pass out and change back.

With a bump, Willow's back hit the wall of the library, and with a startled squeak, she scrambled sideways and behind a bookshelf, before taking off running. Darting down other rows, trying to stay out of the wolf's line of sight was the only thing on Willow's mind. Well, that and reaching the door and/or gun.

The wolf jumped, toppling over some bookcases, almost squishing Willow and exposing her to him as well as blocking her line of exit. Regardless, she scrambled over the fallen books and debris , though at a much slower pace, giving the wolf ample time to reach her and trap her.

Oz pounced on her, growling softly, parting his massive jaws in preparation for the bite. That one moment of hesitation was all that was needed, however, for dawn's first rays to drown out the moon and render him unconscious.

* * *

"He just… h-he just bolted after he w-woke up. He just w-waited to see if I was all right, g-grabbed his cloths, and r-r-ran…" Buffy then comforted her best friend as she completely broke down. Sobbing uncontrollably, hysterical with grief and fear. The adrenalin rush from the attack wasn't helping in the slightest. 

While Buffy was busy comforting Willow, Giles and Xander were examining the cage and trying to set the library back to order.

"Hey, G-man, look at this" Xander motioned Giles over, showing the loop of metal where the lock used to hang had been bent back, almost to the point of completely falling off, and thus allowing the, still closed, lock to fall to the ground. Xander retrieved it and handed it to Giles "guess we under-estimated the wolf's strength…"

Xander hated to see Willow so upset. He loved her, she was his best and closest friend, the best type of person. Someone like her didn't deserve to be hurt as she had, though he understood Oz's desire to leave, he couldn't believe he's just left like he did. Attacking Willow and just bolting.

"Xander, could you help me set these bookcases back up?" Giles instructed softly, hoping not to disturb his slayer and her best friend.

* * *

**Author's Note**: ok I SWEAR I was gonna write more than this.. it was gonna be the first chapter but…this seemed a good place to stop… hmm… cliffy anyone? Hehehe I dunno how good this is, really… the idea is there... and I can write so much more next chapter…this was just hard though seriously… very upsetting… -sobs- 

School's about to start… meh, I got so much to do…

Anyway, I'm still working on Gateway… but seriously, I'm stuck… -sighs-

I am rather upset only one person voted in my poll… but that's neither here nor there, at least one person cared enough to vote which in itself is gratifying!

And.. I think that's it… I hope to be, you know, posting another chapter up sometime, either in Gateway or here.. but if it's here I SWEAR it will be closer to the length of Gateway's chappies (aprox 11 pages instead of 3 including the authors notes and stuff -ish so ashamed- )


	2. Chapter 1

**Relativity**

**Chapter one**

**Author:** Lexandria

**Summery:** A distant cousin shows up to live with the Weasleys and gets a job offer from Hogwarts (not who you think)

**Author's Notes:** Ok, so here's the deal. it's been years since I've written any fanfiction so I'm starting back on this one by editing these chapters, hopefully making them longer and more detailed. I like the prolog, but the rest of this just makes me sad.

**Timeline:** Uh… wait, I know this one! –Wanders off to check the chapter maps- Uh.. Right after Season three of Buffy (I might play around a bit with timelines… if I do, I'll make a note of it –can't remember if she does or not in this fic-) and… hmmm… Year six for Harry Potter…

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Harry Potter, if I did, I'd have no reason to Wright fanfiction!

**Key:** _word_ – memory/thought

* * *

-_-+-_-=_________________________________=-_-+-_-

* * *

It had been four months since he'd left Sunnydale, four months since he'd attacked Willow. He had missed graduation, though it did not bother him too much. It wasn't that he had not been worried about the Mayor's Ascension, he had been. Any time he remembered the looming event it had taken all he had not to return instantly to his mate and protect her, tooth and nail, from the danger he knew she would be in. He knew they'd been all right because he did come back, though just for that day, to protect his mate, his Willow. Unable to fight his instincts any longer, he had traveled back to Sunnydale, though he let no one, especially Willow, know of his return. The previous parting had been so difficult for him that he knew that he would not be able to do it again, even though he felt he had better control it was not significant enough a change that he would risk allowing himself to believe, even for an instant, that Willow would be safe from him. Giles was the only one who knew he had returned, having seen him take out a few fleeing vampires, but hadn't said anything to Buffy or Xander or, most importantly, Willow and later, Giles had even helped Oz find the monastery.

At the monastery, he'd learned to control his beast by way of coming to terms with and accepting what he was. By doing this he was able to merge both sides of his nature and exist contently as a whole being, rather than two halves that constantly struggled for control. Oz now understood that the wolf brought with it instincts and senses that did not always have to lead towards violence. The violence was from the struggle between the two parts of himself as his instincts were brought to the fore by the full moon. He no longer had to change as the moon commanded, nor did he have to remain human when the lunar cycle said he should. Granted, it took work, meditation, and a simple potion to bring his two sides together, allowing him to change, or not, as he choose. He needed less and less of the calming, unifying draught as time wore on and soon would no longer need it at all. When that time came he would return to Willow. If she would have him back. His possessive instincts insisted that she have him back, but his human sensibilities forced him to admit that she may have moved on and there was nothing he could do to force her to return to him. It was on Willow that his greatest challenge in merging his two halves lie.

He would worry about her constantly; was she all right? Had she found someone else? Did she hurt as much as he did every time he realized she wasn't around? But though all these doubts and worries he pushed onward, so he could see her for himself when the time was right.

Currently, he was searching for his cousin. She lived somewhere in England with her husband and children, he knew from his father. His father's family was very family oriented, and usually received a few letters a year from various family members keeping touch. It was surprising, really, that his father hadn't set up a search for him, or even reported him missing after his dissaperance. Then again, Stan Osborn was an over worked, underpaid accountant widower. Hardly ever home, he wouldn't notice his son missing, as Oz was hardly home as well and usually took care of himself when it came to concerns such as food, clothing, and general upkeep. His cousin, he now knew was in the general area thinks to a location spell from Giles. The Watcher had been extremely helpful during Oz's search, for which the werewolf felt extremely grateful. Giles had worked the spell from his home in Sunnydale and relayed the information to Oz over the phone a few days after the casting, when Oz had been able to locate a pay-phone and enough money to pay for a transatlantic phone call. Now, a few days after the fact, Oz was currently wandering the countryside just outside a small town he couldn't name, searching for some sort of sign or something that would tell him which way he should go to locate her home; Giles' results had come up a little vague.

His father had told him Molly was rather kind, though he'd admitted he'd only met her a few times in his childhood. She was his favorite cousin, though, especially after he had left his family to move to the states. Oz figured he'd see if he could stay with them for a night or two, or at least get a bit of help from them by way of food or assistance getting home. Up till now, he'd been staying with contacts of Giles, or friends of friends of Giles, but he'd run out of places to go for the moment. Besides that, he did not like to overstay his welcome and couldn't help but feel that by asking to stay even one night and imposing himself on others, he was already to the point of staying past his welcome.

While contemplating his predicament, Oz found himself nearing a large, impressively lopsided house; the stories stacked upon themselves at odd angles, the walls didn't appear to be straight or level anywhere above the first floor, and some of the attachments just seemed completely out of place, even on such a patch-work dwelling. Try as he might, Oz couldn't quite figure out how the structure was remaining standing. However, it was the first house he'd seen in the past half hour of wandering the hillsides in the general area the spell had indicated, so he figured that they may know where his cousin lived.

* * *

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* * *

"Molly, don't you think you're being a bit hard on them?" Arthur Weasley gently inquired of his wife, attempting to calm her as she ranted, upset once again as she had been intermittently from the end of the last school year.

"They chose their lot, they haven't paid any mind to us" though soft, her words held anger and disappointment, "Dropping out like that! What were they thinking? Now they invite us to their shop? I'll have no part in that, and neither will Ron or Ginny! They're a bad influence!" huffing, she flicked her wand at the dishes that had been sitting in the sink but now scrubbed themselves viciously in tune with her anger.

"Dear, I'm not saying what they did was right, but can't we go to hear their explanation?" Arthur asked, somewhat desperately; he was a peace loving man, and he loved his wife dearly, and so was understandably upset to see her in such a state. If only he could calm her down, she would eventually forgive Fred and George. The challenge would be calming her down so that she could.

"How can you ----" Molly was cut off by a knock on the back door, and so stood to answer the door, albeit cautiously. These days you could never really know who was coming to call, especially so late at night.

A short, skinny, fairly dirty young man stood in the doorway, his bright red hair standing out in the night appeared wind blown, messy, and just as dirty as the rest of him. He didn't appear nervous, but slightly uneasy and cautious as Molly scrutinized him suspiciously with Arthur standing directly behind her.

"Yes?" Molly inquired, her hand in her apron pocket gripping her wand, ready to pull it out in an instant if the situation required it.

Softly, and rather tersely, the young man replied, "Sorry to bother you so late. Do you know where Molly Prewett lives?" his foreign accent was slightly surprising, but was far outweighed by her shock at hearing her maiden name. It had been many years since anyone had called her by that name, everyone she knew knew that she had been married for years.

"Why are you looking for her?" Arthur moved a bit closer to his wife, placing his hand on her shoulder softly, clearly feeling protective of his wife. Who was this American stranger and how did he know Molly's name but not what she looked like? The situation seemed a little strange, to say the least.

Shrugging, the foreigner replied, "She's my dad's cousin."

"My maiden name is Prewett , who is your father?" Molly broke the silence, feeling a little stunned. She kept in pretty regular contact with most of her family, as did Arthur, she wracked her brain to figure out which cousin it could be.

"Stan Osborn"

"Daniel?" It all clicked and suddenly it made total sense. Stan had moved to the states just after coming of age. As the only squib in her family, he had felt a little left out, so when he met and eventually fell in love with a pretty american while in college, he'd had little problem moving when she wanted to return home.

The young man started slightly at his name, "Yeah?" the unasked question 'how did you know?' hung in the air as he tilted his head just slightly, a mildly quizzical expression on his face.

"I do keep in touch with my family" Molly answered her stoic second cousin "Come in!" Beaming at him, she allowed him entrance to her house, giving Arthur a little shove to clear the doorway as she backed up in order to open the door wider. The moment he was inside, Oz was pulled into a warm, if slightly bone-crushing hug "I'm sorry, you just never know who'll come knocking these days" she apologized even as she continued to hug him

Once Molly leg him go, Oz shrugged again " 's cool" he said quietly, nodding slightly, he understood. Coming from Sunnydale, caution was second nature, especially at night.

"Daniel, let me take your jacket" Molly then abruptly relieved him of the light, ratty coat he'd picked up from a street vendor in Hong Kong. It wouldn't be very helpful in a few months, it definitely didn't keep the wind out. Molly resolved to at least wash the poor covering, if not mend all the holes if she had time. Though that would depend on how long he was going to stay.

Once she returned, Molly inquired as if she hadn't been gone, "now, what brings you here? I haven't heard from Stan since we were teenagers! How's he getting on? Last I heard he was an accountant?" she was always interested on how her family was getting on, especially since she hadn't heard from Stan for so long, since just before he moved out of the country.

Arthur perked up from his position near the door, where he'd been absently watching the dishes clean themselves, and became excited. Here was a real muggle, though one that was just once removed from a squib, and he'd love to ask him some things. He wondered, though, if Stan had ever talked to his son about the magical part of their family, though he doubted it. Most squibs were ashamed by their lack of magical ability, and so rarely spoke of it, especially if they married a muggle, so he doubted Daniel had any idea about this side of his family.

Shrugging, as he seemed to do frequently, Oz answered "Yeah. 'S far as I know he's fine, haven't seen him for a while" it was about then he noticed the pots scrubbing themselves, though he didn't visibly react. He'd never seen magic used for such mundane things before, but he figured that must be what was happening , as the only explanation was an invisible person.

"Daniel, how long ago did you leave the states?" Molly began to feel concerned, well, more concerned than she had been when she'd first taken in his appearance. He was thin enough that it was clear he wasn't eating enough, and dirty enough that she could guess that he was doing most of his travel on foot. Neither situation sat right with her, and now he hadn't been in contact with his father? what was going on?

"About four months ago I guess" another shrug as if he really didn't care how long he'd been gone.

"Oh Dear! Why don't you sit down? Have you had dinner?" Knowing by his appearance that he hadn't, she was all ready making him a sandwich before he could answer. "How long have you been in England?"

"Three days"

"how long are you planning on staying?" Arthur interjected as he sat down eagerly, hoping he could get his wife's cousin to answer some of his question. Molly served Oz his sandwich in the mean time. However, all Arthur got was a shrug as a first response"

"Dunno, a while I guess" Oz added after a few moments of silence.

Molly, now greatly concerned about the whole situation, asked "Where are you staying?" though she had a very strong suspicion that the young man had no where to stay, as well as an apparent lack of plan for this trip, if it even was a trip. It seemed more like he was at a loss about something or another and was searching for something. Whatever it was he didn't seem to be finding it. She received another carefree shrug in response, as she suspected. He was very closed up, and reminded her a little of Stan, though Stan had been more talkative than his son seemed to be. Oz took a bite of the sandwich gratefully, he hadn't eaten for a day and his stomach had been gnawing at him for food for most of the day. "You're welcome to stay with us as long as you like" molly offered, her maternal instinct had kicked in the moment he appeared on at her door, even though she had been suspicious at first.

"Thanks" Oz nodded in gratitude, glad that he hadn't had to ask for a place to stay, he still felt a little guilty even though she had offered.

"If you're finished with your sandwich, I can show you to a room you can stay in. It's my older boys', but they've moved out a while ago, so you're welcome to it. Or are you still hungry?" she worried that one sandwich probably hadn't been enough to feed the skinny teen.

"Thank you, sleep would be good" he seemed to smile slightly as he stood from the table, tilting his head forward in thanks to Arthur as well.

Molly smiled, though she felt she should probably make him eat more, he looked absolutely exhausted "I'll show you the bathroom on the way up, so you can get washed up if you want" she said, dropping her voice as she lead him up the stairs, not wishing to wake her younger children.

* * *

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* * *

"It's a wonder he didn't notice the dishes" Molly murmured as she and Arthur sat back in the kitchen after settling Daniel into Bill and Charlie's old room. She had only just realized that Daniel probably didn't know anything about magic, especially since Stan was a squib so Daniel was most likely a muggle.

Arthur nodded, "you just left them scrubbing themselves. He must be tired. They don't make much sound. It looks like he's been on his own for a while now, doesn't it?"

"Poor Dear, I hope he stays a while. Did you see how skinny he is? What's he been doing for four months? How'd he get over here? I hope he stays if only for a bit…" sighing softly, Molly glanced at Arthur, her worry clear on her face.

Arthur could tell that though his wife's maternal instinct had kicked in at full force, especially since she was also feeling guilty for her treatment of their twins. She would be trying to make up for it with Daniel, and Harry, when he came for the summer. Though she'd always had a soft spot for Harry; it was obvious his relatives did not treat him right. "you'll just have to ask him to stay then, so you can monitor his eating till he's up to your standard" he grinned at his wife.

"He looks like he's been traveling quite a lot, poor thing" Molly went on, sighing softly, she smiled wearily at Arthur "Lets get to bed, we can settle things in the morning…"

* * *

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* * *

**Author's Note:** ok, so, I re-wrote this chapter. For new readers (hehe, that's a laugh) the next few chapters are in the same state this one was in before I re-wrote it. I apologize. I'm still not sure how I feel about this, but at least it has a bit more detail now. I'm so disappointed in myself.

For all continuing readers, sorry this isn't a new chapter. Also, for readers of Gateway, I'm even more upset with the state of that fic, and, since my old computer died with my chapter maps and the partially finished chapter on it, it will be a long while before it is updated. I don't know if I have the stamina to re-write the chapters there, but if I continue it anytime soon, it will hopefully begin to follow an improved quality of writing, though I cannot guarantee that at all.

sorry to all.


	3. Chapter 2

**Relativity**

**Chapter Two**

**Author**: Lexandria

**Summery: **A distant cousin shows up to live with the Weasleys and gets a job offer from Hogwarts (not who you think)

**Author's Notes**: ha.. forgot my author's notes last time.. well, uh.. started the second chapter already just two days after posting the first. Except now, that I'm actually typing it, it's been a while. Been working on the story in study hall… I'm already working on chapter four!

**additional note: **I have re-edited and re-uploaded this chapter as well. Sorry it is not an update.

**Timeline**: Uh… wait, I know this one! –Wanders off to check the chapter maps- Uh.. Right after Season three of Buffy (I might play around a bit with timelines… if I do, I'll make a note of it –can't remember if she does or not in this fic-) and… hmmm… Year six for Harry Potter…

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Harry Potter, if I did, I'd have no reason to Wright fanfiction!

**Key: **_word_ – memory/thought

**Replies to Reviews:**

_Moony-Mione-Padfoot:_Thank you…I think the chapters after this one should start to be longer, I realize it seems rather lame right now I'm sorry. I feel disappointed in myself, actually.

_Arano Honou: _Mew, thanks –ish tackle-hug-glomped- eep! But most of those details were going to be answered in this chapter, actually. Molly and Arthur and Oz didn't talk much, just went to bed. And if you noticed.. Oz did notice the dishes washing themselves, just said nothing about it anyway.. uh, I could have added a bit more, but.. mew, didn't seem like it at the time o.o it was a little hurried I suppose…

_Susan (): _Ha! Right you are, he did notice. I'm sure I put that in somewhere… mew, maybe I just thought it. Anyway, thanks! And I'm working on the update already, actually, so, I hope it'll be up soon, but I do have to postpone the work till after I finish my dialectical Journal for my English class (reading: _Man's Search for Meaning_) so.. mew. Thanks!

_IsiwaruOfCkaloatia_: mew, thanks! And for the maiden name too! I'm gonna go change that now! I'm working on this, I swear… and later I'm gonna come back and flesh out chapter two, and prolly this one too, seeing as how I have a feeling it's gonna be pathetically short as well…

* * *

"Bill! Charlie!" Molly cried as her two eldest returned home for their holidays from work, for once they managed to both get time off at the same time as both each other and their younger siblings. That is, with the exception of Percy and the now-banned twins. She enveloped them both in tight, loving hugs immediately.

"Hi Mum" coursed the two as their breath was squeezed out of them. Their mother might be shorter than they, but she was still very strong in the hug department. It was somewhat scary, really, if they stopped to really think how strong she was.

Tisking slightly at the sight of Bill's even longer hair, she sat them at the table and began piling their plates full of the breakfast foods she had already had waiting for them. Molly was nothing if not prepared when it came to her children. Grinning, the boys knew they were definitely home.

After a while Ginny wandered down the stairs, she had always been a fairly early riser compared to Ron and the twins, and all but jumped on her brothers with excitement "you're home!" as she, too, hugged them both tightly.

"Hey Gin" Bill sighed happily as he stood, returning his little sister's hug lovingly, "What have you been doing this summer? Anything fun?"

"Just the usual stuff" she stepped back and tilted her head to look at him "practicing quiditch with Ron, mostly. I was Harry's replacement for when Umbridge banned him as Seeker. This year I'm going to try out for Chaser. Ron's gonna go for Keeper again too."

"I was gonna ask if you were going to try for the team this year." Charlie winked at her.

"Of course! We'll be out three chasers and two beaters"

"Who's going to fill those other positions do ya think?"

"I dunno, but Harry's probably going to be captain this year..."

* * *

As quiditch was discussed in the kitchen, upstairs Oz was wide awake, if not fully rested, and staring at the trunks that had, quite suddenly, appeared and fallen with a loud, echoing thump onto the floor in the middle of the room.

Now, Oz, being an easygoing kind of guy, wasn't too freaked out by objects appearing out of nowhere. He lived on a Hellmouth, and was dating an amateur wicka, who was also best friends with the Slayer. He had seen some odd things, experienced odder, than a few trunks falling out of thin air onto the floor.

He was fairly certain that, considering the dishes washing themselves and, just now, the trunks appearing out of nowhere, that one of his relatives, probably Molly, was a fairly accomplished Wicka.

However though Daniel Ozborn was an easy-going guy, he was also rather sleep-deprived, an so finally just rolled over to return to sleep. Such mundane use of magic did not really set him on edge, especially since none of it seemed to be harmful or directed at him.

* * *

"Bill, dear, where did you and Charlie set your trunks?"

"In our room" the obvious answer Molly had been dreading. It hadn't even occurred to her before that she had neither warned Daniel nor her children about one another.

"Oh! But Daniel is up there!" Molly hurried herself up the stairs, leaving Bill, Charlie, and Ginny's simultaneous question 'who's Daniel?' unanswered. Of course they followed her in an attempt to gain an answer to their unanswered question.

Knocking softly on Bill and Charlie's door, Molly recieved a sort of sleepy mumble in reply, and so eased the door open to peer at Oz, who seemed to be mostly sleeping with one eye open just a crack to look at her "Just checking to see that you're all right" she whispered and closed the door before ushering her children back downstairs firmly.

"Who's Daniel, Mum?" Ginny beat her brothers to the punch as they were pushed all the way back into the kitchen, where they quickly sat down. There was no pushing their mother around when she was in this sort of mood, "When did he get here?"

"Have some breakfast Ginny dear" Molly replied calmly, setting a plate in front of her daughter as she had for her sons, filled to the brim with delicious breakfast foods.

"Mum!"

"Do be patient dear, I haven't forgotten your question"

Ginny huffed softly, she'd known that. But Mum always pushed subjects away by changing them when she didn't feel like talking about them. Or thought it wasn't the best time to talk about them. When she was younger, food could distract her from what information she was after, but not any more. Her mother seemed to have mixed her and Ron up, seeing as how he could still be adequately distracted by any edibles presented to him.

"Can't you three wait for Ron to get down?" Molly continued, glancing at her curious children. Bill and Charlie seemed content to let their youngest sibling fight the battle against their mother, who finally wavered and gave up. "You'll have to tell Ron, I don't want to have to repeat myself"

At Ginny's triumphant grin, Molly sighed softly, hoping Ron wouldn't be left in the dark for too long.

"Daniel is my cousin Stan's son, which makes him your second cousin. He's been traveling and I've invited him to stay a bit." Her children, of course, were stunned that that was all there was to it.

"Cousin Stan the squib? Isn't he an accountant and in the States?" Bill jumped in as it occurred to him.

"Yes, I believe Daniel was raised muggle and is probably a squib himself, so he doesn't know about our world yet. Be careful around him until I tell him, we don't want to scare him."

"He didn't notice our trunks?" Charlie sounded skeptical. How could anyone not notice the sudden appearance of two heavy trunks? At the very least, he must have been woken up by their drop.

"Dear, he's exhausted. He barely noticed me knock. He probably thinks we brought them in while he was asleep."

All three of her children remained unconvinced, but Molly ignored it as she went back to work.

* * *

Oz grumbled softly as he finally forced himself from bed and groggily wandered downstairs, waking up along the way. Upon finding and entering the kitchen, all he could see was red, literally.

Molly had her back to him, and seemed to be working on the stove; at the table were four others, two teenagers and two young men about his age, though the teenagers weren't that far behind in age.

The first was tall and lean, wide shoulders and long legs, encased in faded jeans and a black shirt to complete the outfit. Keeping his long, dark red hair tied loosely back suited the young man: that and the tooth earring were sure to draw lots of attention, particularly that of the female variety.

The one next to him, clearly a younger sibling, but not by much, was a shorter, stockier individual. Evidently very fit, he sat relaxed and yet seemed ready for anything all at once. Buffy had the same restless appearance when ever he was around her, making Oz wonder what it was this young man did for a living; dressed mostly in leather, excluding his shirt, and with hair cropped very short, even singed in places, it seemed most certainly to be a dangerous occupation.

With longer hair compared to the shorter brother, the youngest boy was taller by far than most of his family, the eldest being about half an inch taller. His hair, slightly orangey-er than his siblings', but matching Molly's perfectly, clashed horribly with a bright orange 'Chudly Cannons' shirt, which, itself, clashed with the worn light-blue jeans he wore upon that lanky, still-growing body of his.

As the youngest, the girl was obviously shorter than her brothers, and slenderer, but not skinny like her elder youngest brother, with deep red hair tied in braids that rested upon her shoulders. The dark green of her sundress complemented her hair and face while matching the black pants underneath.

It took but a moment for Oz to take in the scene of a happy family settling down for lunch, but in that moment, all eyes, except Molly's, whose back was to him, were on him.

"Hi" Oz was, of course, as unfazed as usual, raising his hand slightly in salute.

Whirling around, Molly exclaimed cheerfully "Oh! Daniel dear, have a seat!" waving a hand and a wooden spoon towards the empty chairs at the table.

Silently, Oz sat in one of the seats, across from the girl in green and next to the youngest boy. There was a bit of staring directed his way, and Oz could tell they were sizing him up. It didn't bother him, really; he'd gotten a lot of that in high school. Being short and a little on the skinny side, people wondered how he had ended up lead guitar in a band, with a steady girlfriend. The good grades didn't surprise others too much; no one noticed when he repeated his senior year. He was the non-threat, which suited Oz perfectly: he was content to do his own thing without scrutiny from others: Though that wouldn't have bothered him either.

Soon enough Molly appeared and served each of them a large bowl of soup before she, too, sat down with her own.

"How did you sleep Dear?" Molly inquired of Oz, breaking the silence that had grown uncomfortably thick, almost enough to cause Oz to squirm. Almost.

"Very well" carefully eating his soup, Oz glanced up at his distant cousin, "best sleep I've had'n weeks"

Smiling a little, Molly wondered (and worried) why he hadn't been sleeping well. "Oh, Daniel, let me introduce my children." Molly changed the subject rapidly, "This is Bill" the motioned to the eldest on her right, the chair next to her empty, "Charlie's the one next to him" the shorter of the two, "Ginny is across from you, and Ron is next to you"

"Hey"

"And this is Daniel, your second cousin"

"Everyone but Stan calls me Oz" he offered, then added "and Snyder" with what could almost be described as a smug look on his passive face.

"Where did you get a nickname like that?" Ron turned a bit to look at him.

"Last name's Ozborn"

"Oh"

After a somewhat awkward silence, everyone finished eating; Oz cleared his dishes with everyone else, who quickly returned to their activities, apparently a game or something outside.

"Dan—" Molly quickly corrected herself "Oz dear, can I speak with you for a moment?" she needed to take care of the magic talk before Arthur came home and ambushed the poor boy.

Nodding passively, Oz stood and followed his cousin into the sitting room, and with an invitation sat on the couch next to Molly. He expected this was the 'how long you can't stay' talk, and wasn't really too surprised by his situation.

'_How to put this delicately?_' Molly thought as Daniel sat down where she'd indicated, sighing softly, she opted for the simplest approach.

"Da—Oz Do you—"

"You can call me Daniel" Oz interjected, noticing her preference for his given name.

"Daniel…do you believe in Magic?"

Oz blinked; that was the last thing he expected to hear.

Molly continued "Magic is real, Daniel" coaxingly she added "I know it is a lot to take in Dear"

"Actually, it explains a lot" (1) he smiled a bit.

* * *

Rolling onto his back, Oz stared at the ceiling from the cot in Bill and Charlie's room. He'd refused one of the beds; he was the guest, not they.

According to Ron, the second youngest (and tallest), the twins (Fred and George apparently)'s room wasn't exactly safe for anyone to stay in. He didn't mind.

After Molly had, forcefully, gotten Oz to accept some spare cloths and had him change so she could wash his only set, Oz had had a chance to talk to his cousins a little bit. The teens (and young adults) came back in, looking tired, dirty, and happy. The girl chattering on about how she and Charlie had beaten Bill and Ron fairly well; face flushed and eyes bright. She clearly loved whatever game they had been playing.

During dinner, Molly's husband, Arthur, arrived and sat at the other head of the table, across from Molly and next to Oz, who took the same seat he had taken before.

Arthur, who had seemed protective the night before, was now positively bubbling with excitement, and asked Oz all sorts of odd questions, ranging from the purpose of rubber ducks (to keep you company while taking a bath) to how an airplane flies without magic (aerodynamics).

Everyone chatted happily about this and that, something called Quiditch, brooms, owls, letters, and a school.

Later that night, he'd spoken to Molly and Arthur regarding his stay, Oz never wanted to overstay his welcome. It was surprising when they both extended his welcome indefinitely.

Of course, Oz wouldn't stay forever; he couldn't. He needed to get back to Willow, but he also needed to be in complete control as well, The Weasleys, who surprisingly, all seemed to possess magic, could protect themselves if he lost control. But the loss of that control was rather unlikely, at this point he only needed to be absolutely sure he could protect Willow, for she was what caused him loss of control. He was finding that what the book said was very true: a mated werewolf such as he was very much less dangerous than an unmated one. Except if his mate was human. In that case his wolf was only interested in changing her, rather than harming or turning others. There was the urge to hunt, yes, but in his meditative state he could convince his wolf that they had enough food and enough to satisfy their hunger with whatever food he had managed to get at the time. Now that it was very clear that Molly would never let him go hungry, he was not a threat to them. But he had to wait until he was not a threat to Willow either, and that would only be when he did not need the potion to keep himself in control.

He would wait just a little longer.

* * *

(1) **"Actually, it explains a lot" **(1) - Oz says this in the birthday episode in season two of Buffy, when told that Vampires exist and stuff like that. I love that quote and think it fits well in here.

**Author's Notes:** HA! Chapter two is DONE! AND it's LONGER than chapter one, and the prolog WOOT! –does a happy dance- yeah.. I've got chapter three done too, and working on chapter four, study hall is such a wonderful thing… Shouldn't be too long for chapter three to be up!

I AM still working on Gateway, added a little bit today, still have writer's block though…

**Additional Note (11/10/2010):** Cleaned it up a little, added a few more details, and a bit of an explanation at the end as to why Oz does not feel he is a threat to the Weasleys, and thus why he has no need to tell them of his condition. Additionally, as a very private person, and the sort who does not betray his friends, Oz will most likely not bring up or mention the Slayer or the Hellmouth as he would see it as breaching the trust of his friends. This story is Oz-centric. He is my favorite character and was cut out of the show far too early in my opinion. I have not seen Season 4 of BtvS, but i have an understanding of the events up to the finale. However, I am taking my interpretation of his journey to control himself from the book that followed a portion of it called "Oz: into the Wild" and not season 4 of Buffy. This may clear up any inconsistencies you may or may not find regarding BtvS and my story.


	4. Chapter 3

**Relativity**

**Chapter Three**

**Author**: Lexandria

**Summery: **A distant cousin shows up to live with the Weasleys and gets a job offer from Hogwarts (not who you think)

**Author's Notes**: well, finally I'm working on typing this again.. has been a while…

**Additional Note: **Editing and re-working parts of this chapter.

**Timeline**: Uh… wait, I know this one! –Wanders off to check the chapter maps- Uh.. Right after Season three of Buffy (I might play around a bit with timelines… if I do, I'll make a note of it –can't remember if she does or not in this fic-) and… hmmm… Year six for Harry Potter…

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Harry Potter, if I did, I'd have no reason to Wright fanfiction!

**Key: **_word_ – memory/thought

**Replies to Reviews:**

_Allen Pitt: _Oz doesn't plan to be in the vicinity if he happens to turn and cannot keep himself under control. If he does happen to come after them while changed into a werewolf, it would be at night, and not within their house, and would not any wizard, especially in year six, when Voldemort has definitely returned (book four) and has been proven to have returned (book five) be on the look out for anything attacking them, especially at night? Also Oz knows, from experience, that werewolves are hunted and feared, he wouldn't want to put himself out a place to stay unless absolutely necessary, and he does know how to control himself for the most part.

Oz would be a squib, yes. He has never, in seasons two and three of Buffy shown any inclination towards magic.

I dislike fics where people from Buffy go "yeah! And I'm best friends with the Slayer! Her name is Buffy Summers and we live on a Hellmouth and battle evil with her and her watcher, Rupert Giles! Her boyfriend is Angel, who used to be Angelus, the feared and psychotic vampire…" you get the idea. Even though lots of people know who Buffy is, her identity and existence is supposed to remain a secret, why would Oz say anything?

You'll have to wait and see if Harry shows up or not. Also, I am not going on anything but seasons one through three of Buffy, until a later time. All my information on Oz has come from seasons two and three, and the novel Oz: into the wild where it details his journey to Tibet and how he learned to control the wolf within himself. Therefore he may differ slightly in season four from how he is portrayed in this fic.

_Susan (): _Thank you, I'll try.

_Sirendarkstarr: _Thank you, I'll try.

_TREE-OF-CONFUSION: _Ask and you shall receive… eventually

**More Author's Notes:**I am sorry it's been years and years. I actually found out I have this chapter and the next already typed out on this computer.. and I really am going to try to start uploading again. College is difficult and I never seem to find time for anything. I need to edit the chapters and type them out and I'm finding I could do so much better with this story. I need to go though and do some serious editing and changing of previous and future chapters… I am going to try to be better, but I can't make promises because I always seem to let everyone down. Thanks to those of you who are still reading this story.

A week after Oz's arrival, things began to settle into a sort-of routine, or, rather, a situation that felt somewhat normal at least. Oz felt an unconditional welcome into his cousin's home and, though she had four of her own children to care for, Molly never made him feel like a burden. Arthur had calmed down considerably and no longer bombarded him with odd questions every time they were in a room together. Bill and Charlie accepted him quicker than Ron and Ginny. To the younger siblings he was more an adult stranger than someone their own age, and they had learned from experience that most adults they met who were previously unknown never seemed to work out. For the first time since he had left the monastery, Oz was able to eat regularly, sleep comfortably, and feel relatively safe and at home.

Molly was excited today, hastily preparing a large meal for guests she would be receiving, namely, one of Ron's friends and the Headmaster of Ron and Ginny's school. Oz just tried to stay out of her way, as Molly was equivalent to a one-woman whirlwind of activity, so he removed himself from the house to observe the quiditch game the four were playing outside. It was much better than football or basketball, Oz had decided quickly, though he realized they were playing with modified rules, for no regulated sport was so disorganized as their current game.

Ginny and Charlie seemed to prefer to pair up against Ron and Bill, though, truthfully, it was hard to tell who was on who's team half the time, what with the teens and young adults flying about on temperamental brooms and throwing balls about like no tomorrow. Currently, Ginny had commandeered some apples from the nearby field and was throwing them at Ron and Bill, claiming, at the top of her voice, that apples counted as bludgers; whatever they were…

Once Arthur returned from work, he, Ron and Bill left to retrieve Ron's friend Harry, while Ginny and Charlie were left to help Molly set up for dinner. However, Molly had Ginny work on her summer homework instead, to much grumbling. Oz offered to help, but found he knew nothing of her subjects other than what he'd learned while in Sunnydale, and that had more to do with dark creatures and spells than transfiguration, history, or potions. It made Oz wonder if they studied such things, but kept his questions to himself.

Ron's friend arrived first, and he was introduced to the shorter, dark-haired young man, "Harry, this is mum's second cousin Oz. Oz, this is my friend Harry" Harry seemed rather thin, and reminded Oz of how he had become while traveling, due to infrequent meals. It made him glad that Harry was now with the Weasleys, as Molly would never dream of letting anyone go hungry. Why Ron's friend hadn't spent the whole summer with his cousins was beyond Oz, as everyone seemed happy and relieved to have the young man with them now.

"Hey, 's good to meet you" Oz offered his hand for Harry to shake, which he did while eying the short young man curiously.

"You're from the States then?" Harry asked, intrigued. He hadn't spoken to anyone from the U.S. before, though he recognized the accent from both the few television shows he'd seen with Americans in them and those witches at the World Cup two years ago.

"Yeah, California"

"What school do you go to?"

"Just graduated Sunnydale High" Well, that was only a bit of a lie. He could have graduated last year, and had technically been present at graduation. It was about the same thing, he supposed.

Harry paused, "Not a magic school then?" he hadn't thought there were any muggles in the Weasley family.

Oz shook his head.

"His dad's a squib" Ron supplied, jarring Harry's memory back a few years, when he had heard of the squib in Ron's family, an accountant, he remembered. Molly had explained the meaning of 'squib' and 'muggle' to Oz while they had spoken about magic. Oz was probably a squib rather than a muggle, Molly had said, because a squib is simply a witch or wizard with dormant magical genes. This meant that were he to ever have children there was a fair chance they might end up a witch or wizard, though there was no known way to activate the dormant genes as of yet.

Just then Molly called them to dinner, and Oz was introduced once more, "Daniel dear, I'd like to introduce you to the Headmaster of Ron and Ginny's school. Albus Dumbledore and our friend Remus Lupin."

"Nice to meet you, Sir" Oz nodded and shook the hand of the oddest old man he had ever seen, and then took his companion's hand as well. Remus looked tired and older than his years. Oz felt sympathy for the man in front of him, but also an odd sense of unease and discomfort the moment he took his hand "you too, Mr. Lupin" he ignored the feeling.

They then sat for dinner. Harry was very quiet, something that seemed out of place for the boy, and terribly sad, just as Remus looked. Actually, the man was also silent, save for requesting food be passed his way occasionally. Dumbledore seemed rather interested in Oz, however, and was attempting to urge the stoic young man into conversation.

"Mr. Osborn, is this your first time in Britain?"

"My first extended stay, yeah. Passed though once before"

"You've lived in Sunnydale your whole life?" Remus recognized that name and paused, looking up in interest, trying to place the name of the town to figure out why it was familiar.

"Yeah?" Oz took another bite of his potatoes, making it clear that he would not elaborate, at least, not without prompting.

"Molly tells me you were less than surprised when learning of magic."

Oz nodded, making an affirmative sound in his throat.

"Have you come across magic before?" finally, it clicked. Remus knew where he head heard that name before, though he didn't know where Dumbledore was going with this.

Oz shrugged noncommittally, "it does explain a lot" and continued eating.

Raising a brow and realizing he wouldn't get much more out of the boy, Dumbledore switched gears, "Remus, I've been meaning to ask you to take your old position back at Hogwarts."

"Albus, we've discussed this, even if the governors would let you, it creates a far too unstable environment for the students to have me gone so often."

Dumbledore smiled, "I have discussed the issue with the school governors, and they have agreed to allow you to resume your position as long as you have an aid capable of taking over when you are absent"

Harry, Ron, and Ginny's faces betrayed their hope that Remus would return to Hogwarts, he really had been the best defense teacher they had ever had.

Sighing, Remus glanced at his former pupils and nodded, "I accept as long as an assistant is found before the year begins."

A pleased smile appeared upon the headmaster's aged face, "Excellent! I am sure we will have no trouble finding an assistant for you". Somehow, all present at the table doubted it would be so easy.

A few days later, it was apparent no one wanted to work with a known werewolf, especially in such close proximity. Molly and Arthur discussed it worriedly one night, going over possible assistants who knew Remus and wouldn't fear him. Tonks, obviously a clear supporter and friend of Remus was out simply because it was too difficult for her, or any other order member, to work at Hogwarts when they are needed at their posts. Besides which, recently it had been made clear that she was a target. Not that they weren't all targets, but Voldemort seemed to believe that Grimmuld place had been passed to Tonks, Sirius' cousin, once he died, instead of Harry, overriding the spell that had been reinforced by Mrs. Black. Were Tonks to die, Voldemort believed the house, headquarters for the Order, would become the possession of either Bellatrix or Narcissa.

Molly would have loved to have Bill or Charlie help, but they both had demanding jobs and couldn't leave them to teach, and they were in good positions for the Order. The only member of their family who could possibly take the position was Daniel, but he had no previous experience with their world, let alone the subject of Defense Against the Dark Arts. But, then again, If Remus briefed Daniel before classes about the lessons, he could always pass on the information or assign homework and monitor the class, he really wouldn't have to do too much.

Arthur and Molly debated bringing the suggestion to Dumbledore, and finally wrote him, explaining their tentative suggestion.

"Good evening Arthur, Molly. May I come in?" Dumbledore stood in the back entrance to the Weasley home, smiling pleasantly with that eternal twinkle in his eye.

Of course, Albus" Molly stepped aside so he could enter, "I am surprised you have come so promptly, we don't wish to take up too much of your time"

"Not at all, Molly. I felt I should discuss the issue with you two and Mr. Osborn personally and in depth." Dumbledore took the seat he was offered and smiled at Arthur and Molly once more, "Now, I believe Mr. Osborn would make a fine assistant for Remus. However, he is a squib, is he not?"

"Yes, his father, Stan, is a squib. I am unsure of his mother; she died while Daniel was quite young, I assume she was a muggle though; Stan broke off with the family quite some time ago and moved to the States to further his education at a muggle school after he'd completed his studies here."

"I see, it seems it would be best if Mr. Osborn would teach using assignments or pre-prepared lectures for the classes. We must also ascertain the extent of his knowledge."

"He grew up muggle, Albus"

"I understand that, Molly. However, he has survived this long while living in Sunnydale."

"Yes, I don't know that small muggle towns are particularly difficult to survive." Arthur stated, appearing confused.

"Normally, no, they are not. However, Sunnydale, California seems to attract all number of dark creatures. This is a phenomenon we have yet to totally understand. Alaster Moody once traveled there, as many high-class aurors used to decades ago, to complete his training. He reports the entire town is infested with vampires, a number of rare creatures commonly mistaken for demons, and a fairly naive populace. If Mr. Osborn grew up and survived living in that town thus far, he may have encountered some of these creatures."

"Why doesn't the American Ministry do anything to control that town?"

"I do not know. Many of the Muggles explain attacks away with one excuse or another, perhaps their Ministry would rather leave the town alone then get many aurors killed attempting to purge it."

Molly nodded slightly, "I'll go get Daniel then, shall I?" and stood to find her cousin.

Oz had been talking with Bill and Charlie about their jobs when Molly entered, interrupting Charlie's story about a Norwegian Ridgeback named Norbert he had to practically hand raise as a favor to a friend of his before allowing it into the wild.

"Daniel, dear, could Arthur and I see you in the kitchen for a moment?"

"Sure" getting up, Oz nodded goodbye to Bill and Charlie before exiting the room and following Molly down the stirs and into the kitchen.

"Mr. Osborn, what a pleasure to see you again" Dumbledore stood and shook Oz's hand.

"You too" nodding, the young werewolf sat across from the Ancient headmaster once Molly chose a place next to Arthur.

"Now, Mr. Osborn, I'd like to get right down to business." He paused a moment, "you are aware, are you not, that Remus needs a teaching assistant in order to be allowed back to his previous position as Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

Eying the man unsurely, Oz nodded slightly, wondering what the old man meant by bringing this up to him. It seemed hardly any of his business.

"We have been having extreme difficulty finding someone willing to take such a position. I would like to offer the job to you."

"Why?" Oz really didn't want to be delayed too long in returning to Willow, for all he knew, she could already have found someone new. He almost growled at the thought.

"I assure you this position requires no magical ability or knowledge on your part, merely your presence. Remus will go over the information and lesson plans before each absence, so you will never be left in the dark, and you could impart any knowledge you have on the subject if you so wish."

Quirking an eyebrow, Oz studied Dumbledore, wondering where he got the idea he would know anything about this defense class.

Smiling, Albus replied to the silent question, "you grew up in Sunnydale, a town that, for some reason, attracts dark creatures. Can you tell me you knew nothing of them before now?"

"I've seen some weird stuff" Oz offered, remaining as taciturn as ever, outwardly unbothered by the unexpected question.

"Will you take the position, Mr. Osborn?"

"How long does this job last? I have a girlfriend I need to get back to"

"The whole school year I'm afraid. You could visit her during the winter holidays, though"

Sighing, Oz made his decision, "I guess I could do that…"

Lying on his cot, Oz sighed and stared at the ceiling, going over the conversation he'd had with Dumbledore, wondering if he should have refused the offer. He would write Giles and Willow tomorrow, see how things were and if Willow would wait for him. Trusting Willow was, truthfully, much harder than it should be. He did not expect her to wait for him, but he also hoped she would. Willow was his motivation; he loved her and hoped more than anything she had not found someone else. As much as he liked Xander, he didn't trust _him_ to stay away from _his_ Willow. Not after that incident in the factory.

It had not taken much for him to take her back, that was true. Honestly, it had been far harder to refuse her for so long, no matter how hurt he had been. Taking Willow back was not the same as trusting her again, that had taken far more time and even more effort on both his and Willow's part. Still, there was that doubt and fear that she would leave him again. The longer he stayed away the louder his wolf demanded he return to his mate, to assure itself that she had not strayed and keep her from doing so again. Oz realized he still had to work to find a perfect harmony with his wolf; he was resisting it and cursing it for its violence rather than finding a true balance: he had yet to forgive himself for trying to change Willow.

Tomorrow was Harry's birthday and the night before the full moon, he would have to be careful and prepare his potion early, and slip out of the party before nightfall.

Harry would be sixteen; he was younger than Ron by a few months. Many of their friends were going to attend; it would be easy to slip away during all the chaos.

Deciding to get up early, Oz set about falling asleep, he had to walk into town to mail his letters, and where would he get the money to buy stamps?

**Author's Notes:** hey, I'm done! Woot! Lets' celebrate! –begins typing next chapter- and just so you know, I still have major writer's block when it comes to Gateway… I'm sorry.


End file.
